1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for assisting a caregiver in the lifting and/or positioning of a disabled person or patient. In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus for assisting both the caregiver, as well as a person/patient who can partially bear weight, yet needs assistance with transferring and/or repositioning.
2. Description of the Related Art
A variety of proposals have previously been made to provide some type of patient lifting or transfer devices that enables a caregiver to safely assist a patient in moving from one position to another. By “patient” is meant any person irrespective of age, sex, health condition, physical impairment or disability that requires, even if only occasionally, assistance in moving or transferring. Such incapacitated individuals, whether short-term or long-term, oftentimes require assistance from another person when being moved, for example, into or out of beds, to and from a chair, to and from a toilet, car or sitting positions, even during physical therapy or the like. In particular, persons confined to wheelchairs, are often unable to stand on their own and require the assistance of one or more caregivers to move them from a wheelchair or other seating arrangement or to a standing position, or oftentimes to get into and out of a bath or shower chair.
Prior art lifting devices have previously employed mechanical lifts, which commonly have a sling for the patient to be raised and lowered, waist belts (commonly referred to as a “gait belt”), as well as hybrid non-mechanical lifts commonly referred to as “sit-to-stand” lifts for patients. In spite of a wide variety in the design of these lifting and transfer devices, each has its own inadequacies. For example, a variety of mechanical lifts, which include both manual, hydraulic and electrical devices, are known to be very bulky and hard to maneuver in small areas such as the bathroom, especially once the patient has been lifted and is in the sling. In the healthcare setting, like a nursing home or hospital, some of the most common drawbacks are 1) lack of training to caregivers/nurses to properly utilize the equipment, and 2) caregivers/nurses typically take several minutes to transfer a patient. It is, therefore, not surprising that caregivers oftentimes simply do a manual transfer rather than attempting to locate the transfer equipment. Indeed, manually lifting a patient/person is the most common type of transfer worldwide.
Similarly, the prior art waist or “gait” belt devices have also proven problematic. A gait belt is a padded belt that fits around the patient's lower rib area and usually comes with multiple handles that are used to grab the patient. Some of the commonly known drawbacks of gait belt devices include 1) they are uncomfortable for the patient, 2) they have a tendency to slide up or down during transfer, 3) they can contribute to a patient falling due to the fact that the upper torso of the patient is never stabilized during the transfer process, and 4) they can cause skin tears, bruising, as well as inappropriate touching to the patient. In addition, when a gait belt device is used to transfer a patient, the caregiver puts themselves at risk to potential injury (e.g., back and shoulder injuries), especially if this transfer position is repeated over and over.
While prior art sit-to-stand lifting/transfer devices are quicker than the traditional mechanical lift, they also exhibit several common drawbacks, including 1) they typically require the patient to be able to hold onto handles while the patient is lifted up, 2) they are also bulky and hard to push once the patient is in the device, and 3) they are also very difficult to get in and out of toilet and bathing areas.
Due to the previously mentioned inadequacies with each of these prior art transfer devices, the most common type of patient transfer is accomplished by means of manual transfer, wherein patients are assisted by a caregiver manually grasping the patient to assist him or her in moving from one position to another. Such manual grasping techniques are usually difficult and oftentimes dangerous to both the patient and the caregiver. Caregivers typically grasp the patient by their arms or their belt to assist in hoisting them from one position to another position (e.g., a wheelchair or a seated position). In other instances, to gain leverage caregivers grab articles of clothing such as a trouser seat or shirt collar, however, these garments are not designed or adapted for easy grasping, and sometimes tear, and require a strong grip on the part of the caregiver. This technique is not only uncomfortable for the patient, it can also cause bruising, skin tears, or even contribute to a patient falling and sustaining more serious injuries.
Further, because of the difficulty of grasping hold of a patient that needs to be moved from one position to another, a caregiver frequently sustains injuries to himself or herself such as an injured back. Injuries to caregivers are particularly likely due to the arching of the back in an unfavorable ergonomic position when attempting to assist a patient with transfer.
Certain patents and publications have disclosed concepts associated with assisting handicapped or incapacitated patients, but none meet the needs filled by the present invention. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,122,778 issued Sep. 26, 2000 to Cohen describes a loose-fitting vest or garment-like device which enables caregivers to assist a patient in moving from one position to another. Such vest is distinguishable from the present invention because it comprises a lifting harness loosely attached to a garment vest. The harness includes a waist and chest belts attached by two shoulder straps. The waist and chest belts are adjustable (which typically takes approximately 3-5 minutes to adjust to any one patient) and include a buckle for releasable attachment around the patient. The lifting harness includes multiple handholds for assisting a caregiver in grasping the patient. However, the garment vest is not part of the skeletal lifting structure of the device. Instead, the garment vest is essentially used to properly orient the lifting harness about the patient's body. Moreover, the configuration of the Cohen garment vest itself can be difficult for patients in a supine position or with limited arm and shoulder flexibility to put on or to remove. Moreover, the Cohen vest can also cause irritability underneath the armpits as the vest has a tendency to slip upwards during transfer. In addition, when the caregiver grabs the lifting straps to attempt a transfer, a lot of pressure is applied to the harness areas due to the fact the garment material is made of a light weight fabric, which does not provide padding for comfort, and can cause bruising, even broken ribs, especially when transferring the elderly person with osteoporosis. Lastly, the Cohen vest cannot be used by multiple patients in a healthcare setting without risking the spread of infectious diseases from one patient to another.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,378 to Farnum discloses a lifting support belt constructed of an elastic, flexible rubber-like material and includes a plurality of flexible handles, which are fixed to the belt in a spaced apart relation. The Farnum design requires that the length of the belt be customized to fit different sized individuals. While useful in some situations, the handholds of the Farnum design do not provide adequate leverage to a caregiver in all situations. For example, the Farnum design does not include any means for grasping a patient's chest or shoulder area.
Thus, a continuing need exists for an improved transfer device that assists caregivers in lifting and moving patients in a wide variety of scenarios. Further, a need exists for an improved lifting assistance device that is easier to put on and take off. A need also exists for an improved lifting assistance device that is more easily adjustable to a wide variety of patients. In addition, it is oftentimes useful for a patient to keep a lifting garment on for an extended period of time or a wide variety of activities. For example, it would be useful for a patient to wear an improved lifting assistance device for an extended period, wherein the device is comfortable to wear and could be used to assist the patient out of his bed or wheelchair, position him on an MRI table, assist him to and from the toilet or assist him during physical therapy at a water aerobics class. Thus, a need also exists for an improved lifting assistance device, which is comfortable to wear in a wide variety of environmental scenarios, yet resistant to bacterial growth and odor so as to eliminate the spread of infectious diseases, bacterial growth or odor from one patient to another.